| Outdoors
The final deadline to apply for permits to be awarded in nearly two dozen categories in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s 2019-20 drawn hunts program, and entering the Big Time Texas Hunts sweepstakes, falls on Oct. 15.
Drawn hunt categories still open for entry through Oct. 15 include: Archery exotic, feral hog, gun/ mule deer, national refuge exotic, national refuge muzzleloader/ deer, spring turkey, youth-only exotic, youth-only feral hog, youth-only javelina and youth-only turkey.
There also are guided hunts for bighorn sheep, gemsbok, scimitar oryx and e-postcard hunts for feral hog, waterfowl, pheasant, furbearers and predators.
Four other categories remain open for applications though Oct. 1, including e-postcard hunts for deer, multi-species and waterfowl, and a trio of national refuge deer hunts for youths.
Application fees for most of the multi-day hunts range from $3-$10. Successful applicants are usually required to pay a hunt fee of $80-$130, but some hunts, including youth-only hunts and e-postcard hunts, require no application fees or hunt fees; however, hunters 17 and older are required to have a current Annual Public Hunting Permit before applying for e-postcard hunts.
The APHP costs $48. The special permit provides access to hundreds of thousands of additional acreage enrolled in TPWD’s public hunting program. Permits are available wherever hunting/fishing licenses are sold, by phone at 1-800-TX-LIC-4U and online with a Visa, Discover or MasterCard credit card. There is a $5 administrative fee for online purchases.
Big Time Texas Hunts is a lottery-style program that allows hunters to buy unlimited chances to win guided hunting trips for white-tailed deer, mule deer, desert bighorn sheep, turkey, waterfowl, dove, exotics, alligator, turkey, pronghorn antelope, pheasant and quail. This year’s BTTH program has 10 categories including 14 different hunts.
All of the hunts are guided with lodging, food and on-site transportation provided. Some allow winners to bring a buddy or two along.
Chances can be purchased through any license vendor, by phone, mail or online using an approved credit card. The cost per entry depends on the method of purchase. In-store, mail and phone entries cost $10. There is a $5 administrative fee for phone entries. Online entries are $9 with a $5 administrative fee.
To learn more about TPWD’s draw hunt, BTTH and other public hunting opportunities, see tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/public/.